46-419: Ray Whitley may refer to: Ray Whitley (singer-songwriter) (1901–1979), American country singer and actor Ray Whitley (songwriter) (1943–2013), American beach music composer and singer-songwriter See also [ edit ] Whitley (surname) [REDACTED] Topics referred to by the same term This disambiguation page lists articles about people with
92-523: A horror film , The Monster That Challenged the World , in 1957, Holt said it "wasn’t too bad a picture at all". Over the next 16 years, he appeared in only two more motion pictures as well as an episode of The Virginian . He was going to make a sequel to Treasure of the Sierra Madre with Nick Adams , but Adams died. However he kept busy managing theatres and making personal appearances. He got
138-441: A degree in animal nutrition from Iowa, worked as a builder, produced rodeos, staged and performed Western music jamborees, and worked as an advertising manager for a radio station from 1962 onwards. Holt later said of this period: Do you realize that this is the first time in my life that I can make my own decisions and do what I want to do? First it was my parents who told me what to do, then RKO told me what to do, then I went into
184-592: A guitar, which he took to Gibson. He explained the features and merits of the instrument, suggesting that by presenting them to other stars of the day, would result in really putting the Gibson name on the musical instrument map. As a result, Whitley was the first performer to own a Gibson SJ-200, which is on display in the Country Music Hall of Fame Museum. The SJ-200 has since become an American icon, and has been played by hundreds of different guitarists over
230-626: A loss of $ 35,000 as the growth of TV and decline in cinema audiences started to cut into Holt's market. Dore Schary left RKO in 1948 and the new management was not keen to cast Holt in anything other than Westerns: Rustlers (1949), Stagecoach Kid (1949), Masked Raiders (1949), The Mysterious Desperado (1949) and Riders of the Range (1949). The latter lost $ 50,000. The Westerns continued: Dynamite Pass (1950), Storm over Wyoming (1950), Rider from Tucson (1950), Border Treasure (1950) and Rio Grande Patrol (1950). Law of
276-460: A part of the story. The directors can shoot both Chito's flirting and Tim's reaction in one shot. Unlike other B westerns, such as those Holts with Cliff Edwards, the movie does not have to stop while the comic does his routine. It makes for much smoother flowing films. In 1948 Tim Holt also featured as the hero of a series of comic books However that year Brothers in the Saddle (1948) recorded
322-436: A steady, serious no-nonsense type of mature cowboy who was less impulsive, more contemporary, and somewhat ‘world weary." Tom Stempel argues that "While Holt had lost his baby fat during the war, he still had a wonderful grin and cute dimples. He used the mixture of charm and seriousness very well." His post-war career began well when 20th Century Fox borrowed him to play Virgil Earp alongside Henry Fonda 's Wyatt Earp in
368-534: A steelworker, he heard of an audition at a local radio station. He was hired as a pop singer and learned a few chords on a guitar to back himself. Soon he was backed by professional musicians, including the Frank Luther Trio. He formed "The Range Ramblers" and began to broadcast on WMCA . He then traveled with the World's Championship Rodeo organization, under the ownership of Colonel Johnson, renaming his band "Ray Whitley and The Six Bar Cowboys." Whitley
414-692: A story of his old alma mater, Culver Military Academy, The Spirit of Culver . His contract with Wanger expired. RKO signed Holt to a seven-year contract in December 1938. RKO gave Holt his first lead in the B-film The Rookie Cop . It was popular, and RKO put him in The Girl and the Gambler opposite Leo Carrillo . He was then cast as the romantic lead for the studio's biggest star, Ginger Rogers , in 5th Avenue Girl (1939). It
460-532: Is Where You Find It . In the latter the Los Angeles Times said Holt "confirms the favourable impression he gave" in Stella Dallas . RKO borrowed him for a western The Renegade Ranger (1938) supporting George O'Brien, then a leading star of B-westerns. Wanger wanted to star Holt opposite Henry Fonda and Louise Platt in an adaptation of Vincent Sheean 's Personal History ; however after
506-627: The Chicago Daily Tribune said he was "very likeable". The Los Angeles Times said Holt "gives a rare and sincere impression of character in his performance". According to the Los Angeles Times , Holt's casting in Madre impressed RKO studio chief Dore Schary who announced "expanding plans" for the actor, looking to cast him in films other than Westerns. He also promised a bigger budget for Holt's Westerns such as The Arizona Ranger (1948), which cast him opposite his father. However
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#1732776412381552-534: The John Ford western My Darling Clementine (1946). For RKO he appeared in a series of Zane Gray adaptations: Thunder Mountain (1947), Under the Tonto Rim (1947) and Wild Horse Mesa (1947). He also made Western Heritage (1947), which was an original screenplay. The budgets were around $ 100,000 a film, making them among the more expensive B Westerns. Holt was next borrowed by Warner Bros for
598-663: The Pacific Theatre with the United States Army Air Forces as a B-29 bombardier. He was wounded over Tokyo on the last day of the war and was awarded a Purple Heart. He was also a recipient of the Distinguished Flying Cross . Following the war, Holt returned to films and went back to RKO. According to his biographer David Rothel, "No more was he the callow, youthful cowboy with big, silly grin on his face. Now he exuded
644-520: The Badlands (1951) was the cheapest Tim Holt vehicle since the war years, made for $ 98,000, but still recorded a loss of $ 20,000. After Gunplay (1951), Saddle Legion (1951) had a higher quality female lead – Dorothy Malone – and then Holt unexpectedly appeared in an "A", supporting Robert Mitchum and Jane Russell in His Kind of Woman for director John Farrow . In September 1950 it
690-527: The Prairie (1942), Fighting Frontier (1943), Sagebrush Law (1943) and The Avenging Rider (1942). His entry into the U.S. Army Air Forces was delayed long enough so that Holt could star in Hitler's Children (1943). He was called to active duty during production. The film proved to be one of RKO's most profitable during the war. Holt became a decorated combat veteran of World War II, flying in
736-465: The basic character he played is the same... In these early films Tim's jobs were diverse. While Hopalong Cassidy was always the foreman of the Bar 20 Ranch, Tim played a cowboy, a Treasury agent, a Texas Ranger, or a number of other occupations. The characters were pretty much the same: Tim, with his boyish good looks, is drawn into situations where he must right some wrongs. Holt had a charming personality on
782-498: The ending with those of the original cast still alive, including Holt, but it did not happen. ) RKO announced they had purchased two stories for Holt, Five of Spades (which became The Avenging Rider ) and Adventures of Salt Valley . He was already announced for There Goes Lona Henry . Holt was going to enter the army, so RKO quickly put him in six more Westerns: Bandit Ranger (1942), Red River Robin Hood (1942), Pirates of
828-514: The feature film Giant starring Elizabeth Taylor , Rock Hudson , and James Dean . Whitley wrote the classic Western tune Back in the Saddle Again . The song was first performed by him in the Western movie Border G-Man , in which he played the part of "Luke Jones.” Gene Autry heard it and bought the song for a reported $ 200, making it his theme song. Whitley and Autry changed
874-508: The films remained undistinguished: Guns of Hate (1948), Indian Agent (1948) and Gun Smugglers (1948). His most frequent director was Lesley Selander and his sidekick in more than 25 of these movies was Richard Martin . Martin played Chito Jose Gonzales Bustamente Rafferty, a character created by writer Jack Wagner for the 1943 film Bombardier and who had appeared in some Robert Mitchum westerns before being put into Tim Holt films. Stempel: The chemistry between Holt and Martin
920-662: The hall in his bathrobe and practice drawing his guns. He’d say, ‘I’m going to be a western star some day’." Immediately after graduation he went to work in the Hollywood film business. His sister, Jennifer Holt , also appeared in B-westerns, notably opposite Johnny Mack Brown at Universal. Holt was signed to a contract by producer Walter Wanger in January 1937. Wanger was going to use him in Blockade , but that film
966-544: The lead in his second film, The Magnificent Ambersons (1942). "It was a lucky decision", Welles later said, calling Holt "one of the most interesting actors that's ever been in American movies". The Washington Post thought Holt "gives an excellent account of himself". The New York Times said he "draws out all the meanness in George's character which is precisely what the role demands". (In 1965 Welles wanted to reshoot
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#17327764123811012-571: The order of the verse and chorus, and made a very slight change in the melody, resulting in the present popular version. It is one of the most recognized and recorded Western tunes in history. Ray Whitley died on February 21, 1979, while en route to a fishing trip to Mexico with his son-in-law, Hal Bracken. Ray Whitley's original Gibson SJ-200 is on display at the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville Tennessee . He
1058-586: The problems Wanger had making Blockade he decided to postpone the project. (It was later filmed as Foreign Correspondent .) He lent Holt to Paramount to play the juvenile lead in Sons of the Legion then RKO asked for him again in The Law West of Tombstone , supporting Harry Carey . Wanger then used Holt in the role of young Lieutenant Blanchard in the 1939 classic Stagecoach . At Universal he appeared in
1104-529: The role for which he is probably best remembered — that of Bob Curtin to Humphrey Bogart 's Fred C. Dobbs in John Huston 's The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948), about two men who team up to prospect for gold, only to have greed tear apart their partnership. Holt's father also appeared in a small part. Tim Holt tended to be outshone in reviews by Bogart and Walter Huston , the latter winning an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance. However
1150-536: The same name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Ray_Whitley&oldid=1055575262 " Category : Human name disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Ray Whitley (singer-songwriter) Raymond Otis Whitley (December 5, 1901 – February 21, 1979)
1196-569: The screen, which made him one of the top western stars from 1940 to 1943. The Westerns proved popular and Holt wound up making six more: The Bandit Trail (1941), Dude Cowboy (1941), Riding the Wind (1942), Land of the Open Range (1942), Come on Danger (1942) and Thundering Hoofs (1942). Holt's career received a boost in September 1941 when Orson Welles cast him as
1242-471: The service and Uncle Sam told me what to do. I came back out and RKO still told me what to do. This is the first time I have not been under somebody's thumb in my life. [1] Holt was married three times and had four children: three sons (one from his first marriage) and a daughter. Tim Holt died from bone cancer on February 15, 1973, in Shawnee, Oklahoma , where he had been managing a radio station . He
1288-557: The son of actor Jack Holt and Margaret Woods. During his early years, he accompanied his father on location, even appearing in an early silent film. He was the inspiration for his father's book, Lance and His First Horse . Holt was educated at Culver Military Academy in Culver, Indiana , graduating in 1936. One of his classmates was Budd Boetticher who recalled Holt "used to walk around in our suite of rooms there…and he often had on his .38 revolvers and holster. He’d walk up and down
1334-683: The stature of his father, and projected a bland image in contrast with the elder Holt's strong characterisation. In 1991, Tim Holt was inducted posthumously into the Western Performers Hall of Fame at the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma . In 1992, the Golden Boot Awards honored Holt for his lifetime contributions to western cinema. For a number of years Holt
1380-463: The years. In 1937, Whitley was signed by RKO Radio Pictures as a specialty performer in the studio's "B" westerns starring George O'Brien , and O'Brien's successor Tim Holt . RKO also gave Whitley a starring series of his own: 18 two-reel musical short subjects, produced between 1937 and 1942. In the late 1950s, Whitley made appearances on the Roy Rogers TV specials, he also appeared in
1426-518: Was Ray Whitley , who was slightly older than Holt, and who would usually sing a song or two in each film. The other sidekick was a character "Whopper" played by Emmett Lynn and then Lee White . 1942 they were replaced by Cliff Edwards as Ike. Author Tom Stempel later recalled: Holt, unlike many other B western stars, played characters not named Tim Holt. From his debut in 1934 Gene Autry always played "Gene Autry" and after 1941 Roy Rogers always played "Roy Rogers", but Holt's names varied, even if
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1472-670: Was a country and western singer, songwriter, and actor, best known for writing the Western classic Back in the Saddle Again . Whitley was born in Atlanta , Georgia , United States. He began his singing career in New York City in 1930. He had traveled to New York where he became a construction worker on the Empire State Building and the George Washington Bridge . While working as
1518-554: Was a financial failure and Laddie was not particularly popular. During the late 1930s, actor George O'Brien had made a number of low-budget Westerns for RKO. Holt later recalled, "I believe George O’Brien quit over money so RKO needed another Western star and I was put forward." In early 1940, RKO announced Holt would make six low-budget B-Westerns, starting with Wagon Train with Martha O'Driscoll . O'Driscoll and Holt were meant to reteam in Sir Piegan Passes but it
1564-489: Was an American actor. He was a popular Western star during the 1940s and early 1950s, appearing in forty-six B westerns released by RKO Pictures . In a career spanning more than four decades, Holt is best remembered for his roles in the films The Magnificent Ambersons (1942) and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948). Holt was born Charles John Holt III on February 5, 1919, in Beverly Hills, California ,
1610-485: Was announced Holt would support Montgomery Clift for director Nicholas Ray in The Flying Leathernecks (1951) but the film was made without either actor. Instead it was back to Westerns: Pistol Harvest (1951), Hot Lead (1951), Overland Telegraph (1951), Trail Guide (1952), Road Agent (1952), Target (1952), and finally Desert Passage (1952). The latter lost $ 30,000 so it
1656-406: Was decided to end the series. He made a TV appearance for Chevron Theatre . Holt had been to Oklahoma in 1947 with a rodeo, and met the woman who became his final wife. When his movie series ended he decided to move to Oklahoma for good. "I never did like Hollywood that much… there was nothing magical about it for me", he said. He was absent from the screen for five years until he starred in
1702-405: Was immediate. Tim was entertained by Chito's constant pursuit of the ladies, which gave Holt a variety of reactions to play: amusement, surprise, slight irritation, bafflement at the hopelessness of Chito's attempted conquests. Unlike Hopalong Cassidy's young sidekick Lucky, who just mooned after girls, Chito was active, which was a lot more interesting to watch, especially with Tim's reactions. Chito
1748-654: Was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1981 and, in 1996, Whitley was inducted into the Western Music Association Hall of Fame . Whitley also endorsed another Gibson made guitar, sold by the mail order house Montgomery Ward , under the house brand " Recording King ." This highly esteemed guitar was marketed only in 1939, and featured the signature of Mr. Whitley on the headstock. 235 of these were made in mahogany, and 235 in rosewood. One of these instruments
1794-735: Was interred in the Memory Lane Cemetery in Harrah, Oklahoma . The street where he and his wife had lived in Harrah was subsequently renamed Tim Holt Drive in his honor. Robert Mott of the Washington Post later said of Holt: Holt was the hero, strong and silent and always more comfortable in the presence of boots and saddles, horses and he-men, than with the heroine – though he almost invariably ended up marrying her... Like many sons of famous entertainers, Tim Holt never achieved
1840-490: Was not just a lovesick fool, but he was also ready for action. As he explained his name, his mother was Spanish, and the Spanish is for loving, and his father was Irish, which is for fighting. Chito performed the crucial functions of a B western movie sidekick: he was somebody with whom the hero could discuss the plot, and he provided some comedy relief. In the 47-52 series, the comic relief is verbal rather than visual, and often
1886-505: Was not made. In early 1940 it was announced Holt and Ginger Rogers would be reunited in an adaptation of The Enchanted Cottage . The film was not made until several years later with different stars. Instead he was assigned to play Fritz Robinson in the studio's expensive adaptation of Swiss Family Robinson (1940). He also played the lead in Laddie (1940); the Los Angeles Times called him "engaging and capable". Swiss Family Robinson
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1932-691: Was not made. Instead Holt appeared in The Fargo Kid . Universal borrowed him to play Charles Boyer 's son in Back Street (1941). The Los Angeles Times said Holt had "some splendid scenes towards the end". Then it was back to Westerns: Robbers of the Range (1941), Along the Rio Grande (1941), Cyclone on Horseback (1941) and Six-Gun Gold (1941). Holt usually played a cowboy who had one or two friends, who occasionally sang. From 1940 to 1942 he made 18 Westerns. His first sidekick
1978-522: Was popular and the Los Angeles Times said Holt "does unusually well in this", although the New York Times thought he "seems a trifle young to be running a great corporation". He was meant to play the eldest son in Three Sons (1939) with Edward Ellis, but he was withdrawn and replaced by William Gargan . He was also meant to star in a Western, Silver City , with Betty Grable , but it
2024-485: Was postponed. Instead he made his debut as Anne Shirley 's suitor in Stella Dallas (1937) for Sam Goldwyn – the same role that another film star's son, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., had played in the 1925 version. When told he was given the role his father Jack said, "Fine. Let's have one good actor in the family." Wanger then cast him in I Met My Love Again (1938) and used him for a Technicolor Western, Gold
2070-482: Was skilled in the use of the bullwhip and could remove a cigarette from a man's lips with a single stroke, using either hand. Whitley recorded for several record labels, including Okeh , Apollo Records and Decca . In 1937, Whitley had worked with Gibson on the production of the Gibson SJ-200 acoustic guitar, which was initially known as the "Super Jumbo". Whitley used his own time and money to design
2116-1161: Was the preferred guitar of American composer John Fahey , who recorded extensively on the instrument from 1969 until the mid-1970s. Fahey destroyed the guitar during a fight with his girl friend and replaced it with a Martin D-76 . Gibson Shipping Ledgers show the following totals for the Montgomery Ward – Recording King Ray Whitley Jumbo Models: Total of 147 – RK Ray Whitley Model No. 1027 (Rosewood back & sides, "bat wing" shaped bridge) Total of 170 – RK Ray Whitley Model No. 1028 (Mahogany back & sides, plain rectangle-style bridge) Breaks down like this: 143 No. 1027s shipped in 1939 Only 4 No. 1027s shipped in 1940 115 No. 1028s were shipped in 1939 55 No. 1028s shipped in 1940 First shipment of 1027s – January 23, 1939 – Last: February 27, 1940, First shipment of 1028s – June 23, 1939 – Last: June 13, 1940 All produced and released by RKO Radio Pictures Ray Whitley at IMDb Tim Holt Charles John " Tim " Holt III (February 5, 1919 – February 15, 1973)
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